Things That Will Endure, and Other Stories for Younger Readers

Most of these stories were written in 1990-91, when I was pioneering a small church. Half of the people attending worship were children, and I needed to find a way to apply the Scripture lessons to their young lives. These eight stories were created in the attempt to answer that need. Reading them over a decade later, I realized they might be useful to Christian parents, leaders of children’s ministries, and even to young Christian readers themselves. I believe the stories will stand on their own, as tales that absorb the attention and spark the imagination. However, each story is followed by a few paragraphs that may help to interpret its message and encourage its application in the process of Christian formation.

Things That Will Endure may be ordered through your local Christian bookstore, and is also available from Laudemont Press. ISBN 978-1-884454-51-6, retail $7.95.

Stories

It’s a Deal!
Tindy Learns to Trust
You Have to Ask

A Tree Tells Its Story
Escape from the Giant
Amy’s Discovery

Mr. Lord’s Estate
Things That Will Endure

From the Title Story, “Things That Will Endure”

Theresa woke up early that Saturday morning. She was excited about the trip she and her friends would be taking that day with Grandpa Goodley. Glancing out the window, Theresa saw that it looked like it would be a pretty nice day for their hike into the mountains nearby.

Grandpa Goodley wasn’t really their grandfather, but to the neighborhood kids he was almost as good as a grandpa. Their real grandparents all lived in other towns, but Grandpa Goodley was right there on their block. Since he had retired from teaching several years ago, Grandpa Goodley had become friends with most of the boys and girls on the street. He helped with Little League softball, and sometimes he would drive the Girl Scouts to special events, and he did other things like that. But what the kids liked the most was when Grandpa got them together to do their own special things — like today’s trip.

As she started to get ready, Theresa recalled what Grandpa Goodley had told them when they were planning the trip. “Be sure to bring something that’s important to you. I’ll bring something important, too. When we get to the top of the mountain, we’ll rest for awhile before coming down, and while we’re resting we can talk about why these things are important.” Grandpa Goodley was great for little talks like that, and the kids didn’t really mind them because they always had so much fun when they were with Grandpa.